Method of and apparatus for producing glass fibers



1944- G. VON PAZSICZKY 2,333,473

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GLASS FIBERS Filed Nov. 6, 1939 INVENTOR Gadeon Von pazsb'czlgf,

iii/5A;

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 4, 1944 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUC- ING GLASS FIBERS Gedeon von Pazsiczky, Hamburg-Wandsbck, gignmmy; vested in the Alien Property Custo- Application November 6, 1939, Serial No. 303,058 In Germany November l5, 1938 6 Claims. (Cl. 49-1) The present invention relates to a method of l2 into the form of fine fibers. Obviously the and apparatus for producing relatively fine fibers gaseous fuel and/or the air employed for proor filaments from molten glass, slag and other inducing the flame is maintained under relatively organic materials which are plastic when heated. high pressure so that the fiame and its products The principal object of the invention is to pro- 5 of combustion will have sufiicient jet eifect to vide such a method and apparatus wherein creproperly create and attenuate the fibers issuing ation and attenuation of the fibers is accomfrom the outlet l2. plished by the blowing force of a flame together In Fig. 2' wherein a modified form of fiberwith the products of combustion thereof. producing apparatus is shown, centrifugal force Another object of the invention, in connection may be, but is not necessarily, utilized as an addiwith a modified form of the invention .is to protional factor in the attenuation of the glass fibers. vide a method and apparatus of this character Toward this end, a substantially cylindrical and in which the attenuation of the fibers is further rotatable riser 30 in the form of a tube extends augmented by centrifugal force. downwardly below the surface of the body of The provision of an apparatus for producing molten glass contained in a tank 32. The glass glass fibers which is relatively simple in its conis forced upwardly in the riser 30 by means of struction, consisting as it does of a minimum air pressure which is built up in the tank 32 by number of moving parts, and which is therefore means of a blower 34. The upper end of the unlikely to get out of order, is another desirable riser 30 is formed with an opening 36 in one side feature that has been borne in mind in the prothereof providing a weir 38 over which the duction and development of the present invenmolten glass is flung outwardly as the riser 30 tion. rotates. A flame-producing burner 40 extends Other objects of the invention, not at this time downwardly into the riser 30 and has its lower enumerated, will become apparent as the nature portion directed horizontally in close proximity of the invention is better understood. to the level of glass in the riser in such a man- In the accompanying single sheet of drawings ner that the flame strikes the body of glass and three embodiments of the invention are shown. assists in forcing it over the weir 38. The riser In the drawing: 30 is rotatably supported in bearings 42 and is Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken formed with a series of teeth 44 providing in efsubstantially centrally through a fiber-producing 30 feet a sprocket wheel over which there passes nozzle constructed according to the principles of a chain 46 by means of which the entire unit the present invention; including the riser 30 and burner may be ro- Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially tated in unison. A combustible mixture of gases centrally through a modified form of fiber-prois supplied to the burner 40 by means of a flexducing and ejecting apparatus; and ible. conduit 48 which is connected thereto by Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showmeans of a slip union 50. ing another modified form of fiber-producing In operation, the combustible mixture of gases and ejecting apparatus. is supplied to the burner 40 at relatively high Referring now to Fig. 1; a nozzle-like body l0 pressure and the flame issuing from the burner having an outlet I2 is formed with an integral 4" assists the centrifugal force acting upon the glass flanged cylindrical portion l4 having a bore IS in the vicinity of the weir 38 in creating and atthat communicates with the bore l8 of the body tenuating the glass fibers which are thrown lat- ID. Anchored in the bore l6 by a driven fit is an erally from the apparatus.

inner flame-producing burner including an elon- In Fig. 3, a tank 52 including a wall 54 of gated tubular fuel conducting member 20 through tapered cylindrical design, and a base portion 56 which there extends centrally an air conducting having a downwardly extending tubular portion pipe or tube 22. Gaseous fuel is introduced into 58 is rotatably mounted as a unit in bearings lill the tubular member 20 from a connection 24 and carried by a stationary framework or supporting is combined with the air passed through the tube structure 62. A series of openings 64 are formed 22 at a point near e Outlet 0f t e body "1 to in the wall 54 while a series of burners 66 threadproduce a flame within the atter e be v Glass edly received in the base portion 56 of the tank introduced into the body l0 through the bore i8 52 extend into the openings 64 and terminate thereof is heated to a high degree by the flame just within the confines of the tank. Gaseous issu from t e me pr ducing burner 20, 22, fuel is conducted to the burners 66 through the and is attenuated as it is forced from the outlet on hollow tubular portion 58 andthrough radially extending bores 68 communicating therewith, while air is conducted to the nozzles through a central conduit I and radial branch conduits 12. Supply conduits l4 and I8 for-the fuel gas and air respectively communicate through a conventional slip union (8 with the conduit II and the space surrounding the same.

A series of teeth 80 are formed on the tubular portion 68 and provide in effect a sprocket wheel over which there passes a chain 82 by means of which the tank 52, including the base portion 58 and its extension 58, as a unit is rotated.

The base portion of the tank 52 slopes outwardly and downwardly in all directions from a central apex toward the openings 84. Thus it will be seen that molten glass issuing from a supply chute 84 and entering the tank 52 will flow downwardly and outwardly toward the openings 84 and will be forced through the latter and attenuated in part by the action of centrifugal force created by rotation of the tank 52 and in part by the force of the flame jets and their respective products of combustion issuing from the burners 66.

In each of the forms of the invention set forth abovethe character of the flame produced may be varied to vary the character of fibers issuing from the apparatus. If the combustible gaseous mixture or the individual components thereof is or are released at relatively low pressures, combustion will take place at or very near the burner tip so that attenuation of the fibers will be effected by the spent products of combustion at a relatively high temperature. If the pressure of the mixture or of one or more of the components thereof is increased, combustion will take place further away from the burner tip so that attenuation of the fibers will be efiected by the blowing force of the mixture substantially as combustion occurs. On the other hand, if the pressure of the mixture or its components is very high, attenuation will be effected initially by the relatively colder mixture before combustion has occurred and subsequently the fibers thus produced will be enveloped by the flame in the region of combustion and will be further attenuated'by the spent products of combustion. Regardless however of the specific manner in which the flame is applied to the molten glass, the essential features of the invention are at all times preserved.

The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the various figures of the drawing or to the exact description of the same set forth above. Various changes in the details of construction are contemplated without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, while I have described the various burners as being operable to produce a flame by means of a combustible mixture of a gaseous fuel and air, it is obvious that an oxy-hydrogen, an oxy-acetylene or other flame utilizing a mixture of combustible gases under a suitable pressure may be employed. Steam or air may also be provided to accelerate attenuation over the weir. Only insofar as the invention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to be limited.

I claim:

1. The method of producing glass fibers from molten glass which comprises confining a pool of molten glass within a receptacle having an overflow weir, rotating the receptacle about a vertical axis while maintaining the molten glass within the receptacle at substantially the level of the weir, and simultaneously releasing a combustible fuel gas mixtureunder high pressure in the vicinity of the surface of said pool and directing the blast thus formed radially outwardly toward said weir to engage molten glass and project it outwardly from said receptacle, causing the blast to move angularly with said rotating weir, and igniting the mixture while it is moving at high velocity to aid in attenuating said projected molten glass into fibers.

2. An apparatus for producing relatively fine glass fibers comprising a receptacle for molten glass having an opening in a vertical wall thereof, a flame-producing burner disposed within the receptacle above the normal level of glass therein and having its flame-producing end directed through the opening, means for maintaining the level of glass within the receptacle substantially at the level of the opening, means for supplying a combustible fuel gas to the burner at high pressure, and means for rotating the burner and receptacle in unison to cause the molten glass to be projected through said opening by the combined action of centrifugal force and the blast of gas from said burner.

3. The method of producing glass fibers from molten glass which comprises confining a body of molten glass within a receptacle provided with an outlet opening in a vertically disposed wall thereof, rotating the receptacle and body of glass about a generally vertical axis to cause the molten glass to flow through said opening by centrifugal action, simultaneously directing a combustible mixture of gases under relatively high pressure radially relative to said axis and outwardly through said opening to engage the glass flowing through the opening and attenuate the glass into fibers, causing combustion of the gases to take place while said gases are moving at high velocity to augment the centrifugal force acting on the glass and accelerate and aid in attenuating the glass into fibers.

4. An apparatus for producing relatively fine glass fibers comprising a cylindrical receptacle for molten glass having an opening in a lateral substantially vertical wall thereof, means for maintaining the level of molten glass in said receptacle at least as high as the lower edge of said opening, a gas burner having its flame-producing end radially disposed within the receptacle and directed into engagement with the molten glass and through the opening, means for supplying a combustible gaseous mixture to the burner at high pressure, and means for rotating the burner and receptacle in unison to cause the molten glass to be projected through said opening and attenuated into fibers by the combined action of centrifugal force and the blast of gas from said burner.

5. An apparatus for producing relatively fine glass fibers comprising a receptacle adapted to contain a pool of molten glass and having an outlet opening in a vertical wall thereof, means for maintaining the level of molten glass in the receptacle at least as high as the lower edge of said opening, a gas burner disposed with its flame-producing end within the confines of the receptacle and directed through said opening to direct a blast of gas to engage molten glass adjacent said opening and force it through the opening to attenuate it into fibers, and means for supplying a combustible gaseous mixture to the burner at high pressure.

6. The-method of producing glass fibers which comprises feeding molten glass into and through a chamber having an outlet opening in a vertical wall thereof at a rate creating a level of molten glass within the chamber that is at least as high as the lower edge of said opening, releasing a combustible mixture of gases at a point within the chamber in the vicinity of said opening in a manner to create a gaseous blast directed laterally through said opening, engaging the molten glass in the chamber with said blast at a point within the confines of the chamber and adjacent said opening and forcibly projecting the molten glass through the opening and thereby attenuating the molten glass into fibers, and causing the released mixture of gases to ignite while it is moving at high velocity to accelerate and aid in attenuating the molten glass into fibers.

GEDEON VON PAZSICZKY. 

